Sunday, April 27, 2014

John Paul II canonization sponsored by banks, oil giant

Alastair Jamieson

Saturday, 26 Apr 2014

AP | He has railed against the "tyranny" of global capitalism and the "idolatry of money" but even Pope Francis needs a little corporate coin sometimes – as proven by the list of sponsors for Sunday's canonizations.

An oil and gas giant, several banks and Switzerland-based food megacorp Nestle are among more than a dozen financial backers of the Rome event.

Hundreds of thousands of people are due to come to the Eternal City to
see Pope John Paul II, who reigned from 1978 to 2005, and Pope John
XXIII, who was pontiff from 1958 to 1963, canonized as saints.

The list of sponsors is dominated by Italian corporations, including energy firms Eni and Enel, banking company Intesa SanPaolo and railway network Ferrovie Italiane.

It's perhaps an unlikely roll call of names to be associated with a
Vatican event, six months after Pope Francis launched an attack on the
global economic system as part of his call for a greater focus on the
needs of the world's poor.

Father Thomas Reese, a senior analyst
with the National Catholic Reporter, said as such events brought income
to businesses including hotels and restaurants it was "appropriate that
they help."
He added: "As one archbishop told me, 'You can't pay
bills with holy cards.' Having an event to which hundreds of thousands
of people attend, is expensive. Better to get some corporate sponsors
than to take money out of the poor box for it."